My Place Amongst The Ashes
by Zerraweth
Summary: It’s been eighty years since the sinner Aion had been sent back to Eden and Rosettes time had run out. The Magdalene’s were driven underground by a world that no longer believed in the devils. Still they fought against them in the dark... R/C
1. The Train

So this is my first CC fanfic and my second story on this site. Hope you enjoy!

Set after the anime. Such a sad ending I swear I cry every time I watch it.

The last story I posted a couple of years back and it did it chapter by chapter, and then I got writers block ON THE LAST CHAPTER and screwed the whole story

Disclaimer – Nope don't own Chrono Crusade, not me.

It's been almost eighty years since the sinner Aion had been sent back to Eden and Rosettes time had run out. The Magdalene's were driven underground by a changing world that no longer believed in the devils. Still they fought against them in the dark, protecting a non-believing world. Until there were no more devils left to kill. But no one knew that soon one they all thought was dead would return…

MY PLACE AMONGST THE ASHES

BY ZERRAWETH

Chapter One – The Train (Set in limbo… oooohhh scary)

She sits on the soft leather seats, watching as the dark landscapes beyond her glass window speed by. The only light coming from the dim bulbs that hang off the walls of the carriage. She moves her eyes from the window and looks around at the other people sitting in the train some in pairs, talking happily to the person next to them. But she, like many more, sat alone and sad.

She doesn't know her own name; she doesn't know why she's here or where she's going. She can't remember a thing. She can't recognize anyone on this train, not the middle aged woman with the small green eyes and short brown hair, not the large black man with the manacles around his wrists, not the tall man with the purple hair sitting alone behind her. Wait!

She looks at him again and she has shivers sent up and down her body. Looking a little closer she feels something stir within her. Could it be when she can't remember anything at all she can remember him. He seems so familiar. She stands and moves towards him, he glances at her as she approaches. There was something in his golden eyes that sparked a memory inside her. She feels her breath leave her body all at once as she comes to stand next to him.

"I can't remember who I am or why I'm here or where I'm going" she says to him "but the only thing I do remember is you Chrono."

"Who… " He rubs his eyes and stares deeply into hers "It's odd, I don't know myself but I know you just like you know me, Rosette. You say my name is Chrono. It kind of sounds familiar."

Rosette slipped down into the seat next to him as the lady with the food cart came rattling up the aisle. She smiled up at Chrono and took his hand in hers.

"I think see you is helping to bring back my memories. I'm starting to remember. It is odd, isn't it? But suddenly it's all coming back."

"That's the curse of limbo dear" the food lady stopped beside them "I'm Laurel, I work here. You see around you those that are moving on to their next life in heaven or hell. They sit with a loved one from their life; they're the key to unlocking the memories of their lives. Without them you would remain an empty shell here for a very long time, like those that sit alone. You are both lucky to find each other so quickly. But time is a funny place in limbo. Who knows how much time has passed on Earth."

"That's so sad. Some of these people could be stuck here forever" Rosette comments.

"That's not the saddest part, dear. Some of these people that sit alone, their loved one is already here. They just haven't looked yet, they've been sitting here for so long that they've lost all hope" Laurel explains.

"Can't you help them?" asks Chrono

"I'm afraid not" Laurel sadly replies "a soul only finds it's partner when it's ready to move on and let go of the physical world. I'm sorry to say it, but some of these souls were just not ready. Mostly they died tragic deaths, murder victims, horrible, accidental deaths, suicides and other such things. The soul just can't cope with that. So it remains here until it is ready. When the train stops they'll stay on but those that are ready move on to their souls next stage of life can get off and they'll either move on to heaven or hell."

She offered them some food then slowly trundled away, moving to serve the people in the back.

Rosette looked over at Chrono. "What do you think is going to happen to us now?" she asked him.

"I don't know, I guess this is just one of those times that we're just going to have to wait and see where we end up. Sorry, I know you don't like to sit still but it looks like it's out of our hands for now"

Rosettes face turned grave. "Can a devil enter heaven? What about me? Can someone who made a contract with a devil enter heaven?" She started to silently weep. Chrono pulled her into a hug.

"I won't let that happen. You're too good a person to end up in hell. What you did was for the best, most pure reasons. You wanted to save your brother and like you said, you couldn't do it alone. I don't care what happens to me but that will not be your fate."

"No Chrono. Your not a bad devil, you don't deserve it either."

"I have done terrible things Rosette. I won't be surprised if I do end up in that place. Look, who knows how much time we have here. Lets just not think about it. We'll deal with it when it happens."

He looked deep into those ocean blue eyes. Rosette felt swept away, caught between his arms holding her close and his fathomless golden eyes. She waited as he leaned closer towards her; he kissed away her tears then sought her lips. During their last months together he had never kissed her like this. The longing for him awoke within her and she held him tight, never wanting to be apart from him and so happy that after their deaths they had found each other again as they always would.

Slowly they pulled back from each other. They shared a small smile and knew that no matter where they ended up they would be together.

"So you're obviously not in your true form" Rosette observed "but how have you come to no longer look so young? I mean you look older than me now."

"I'm not sure" Chrono confessed, "I think it must have something to do with passing on. My physical body, my horns were broken, but my soul was still intact. So I guess in this place it doesn't really matter."

"I guess it kind of makes sense."

For most of the train journey they sat reminiscing about their time with the Magdalene Order, happy times with Azmaria, annoying Sister Kate and beating the Elder after his latest perv up Rosettes dress.

But on the inside they both held to a grave uncertainty. From this point on they had no choice on where they would be led. It was all up to faith and to justice. Would their good intentions stand for anything in the place they were soon to enter?

Their thoughts vanished as they turned towards a commotion in the back of the train. One of the passengers was arguing with the trolley lady and things were starting to get violent.

Chrono rose from his chair to assist Laurel and Rosette followed close behind him.

"Is there a problem here?" Chrono asked the man. He looked rather panicky, his brown eyes were very wide and looked like they were about to pop out of his head, he was grinding his teeth and his fingers were pulling out chunks of his scraggly gray hair.

"Sh.. she.. she won't let me leave" the man stuttered, "I just want to go home, back to my little farm. My wife is waiting" He turned to Laurel, thrusting his face into hers "Why are you holding me hostage? Why won't you let me leave?" he screamed at her.

"Mr. Victor I have told you many times" she answered him calmly "I am not holding you here against your will, you are just not ready to leave yet. When your time comes to leave you will know."

"You lying bitch. Lies, lies, it's all lies" he cried out. Suddenly he lunged towards Laurel, his hands reaching for her throat. Chrono and Rosette both ran to put themselves between Laurel and the man. He lost his balance knocking down Laurel and sending Chrono and Rosette flying through one of those dark windows, out into the unknown beyond the train.

So there goes chapter one. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review and I will see ya for chapter two!


	2. Fallen Angel

So this is my first CC fanfic and my second story on this site

Sorry I haven't updated sooner. My computer was giving me no end of trouble in loading the fanfiction site. Grrrr

Cheers heaps to Teruna Hime for my first review YAAA! Also to anyone else who has read my first chapter. I will try to update regularly now, I was just waiting to see if anyone was reading it and I guess people are. I'm also very fussy with my spelling. I spend a good hour spell checking everything.

The chapters right now will switch between R & C's POV and also Remington's until it's all brought together.

So here's chapter two, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer – Nope don't own Chrono Crusade, not me.

It's been almost eighty years since the sinner Aion had been sent back to Eden and Rosettes time had run out. The Magdalene's were driven underground by a changing world that no longer believed in the devils. Still they fought against them in the dark, protecting a non-believing world. Until there were no more devils left to kill. But no one knew that soon one they all thought was dead would return…

MY PLACE AMONGST THE ASHES

BY ZERRAWETH

Chapter Two – Fallen Angel (Set in 1981)

It was 1981 when I saw him again. Just over 50 years since he was killed, well I thought he had been killed. Obviously I was wrong, we all were.

I was in Rome at the time, visiting the Vatican. That's where I saw him, that's where the secret third prophecy of Fatima came to pass. He attempted to assassinate the Pope.

It was Aion.

Then I realized this is my atonement. Never will I regain my faith, never will I receive his grace, and never again will I walk in heaven until Aion is stopped for good.

So I know I cannot do it alone. There was only one person, so to speak, who was strong enough to defeat him. And he is now dead. But what if? If Aion could return from the dead could not Chrono as well?

So that became my mission. I have spent the past 19 years searching for a way. I know I am close. I searched out the Magdalene Order. They had become very secretive, very difficult to find. With the world's belief in devils ground down to nothing but mere fantasy, I couldn't really blame them. Just imagine the scorn and ridicule if they were still operating out in the open.

A 65-year-old (AN – or there about) Azmaria Hendrik was now in charge of the New York branch, Sister Kate having sadly passed away several years ago. But having Azmaria take over was a good decision from the high council; she's a wise leader and has run the New York branch with great decisiveness.

When I returned to New York in '81, seeking out the Magdalene's, she welcomed me with open arms.

"Father Remington" she greeted me, rising from her desk and coming to give me a welcoming hug. "You haven't hanged a bit."

"Please, Sister Azmaria, just call me Ewan," I asked her. "Age has treated you very well dear." True, Azmaria's face once innocent and naïve now held much wisdom and grace, kindness and compassion. "It is so wonderful to be seeing you again. Though I must say you're not the easiest person to find. How on earth did the Order come to be run from an abandoned subway station?"

"Ah, good connections" Azmaria replied secretively, tapping the side of her nose. "Before Sister Kate passed, may she rest in peace, she'd set up the order down here. It was originally just a safe house for the Order. But after all the troubles and wars and the devils been forgotten by the general population, we were forced down here.

"Did you know the church, everything from the cloisters to the elders lab, it was all destroyed by rioters?" she shook her head sadly, and then continued. "We were branded as heretics. In the eyes of the public we had become the sinners. And we lost so much."

But still we fight on against the devils." She leaned over her desk, lifting some papers. "We fight them away from the publics disbelieving eyes, protecting them from things they don't believe in." She put the papers back on her desk.

"It seems things only get more difficult," I said. "And I'm afraid I come bearing bad news indeed" I shook my head, "I don't know if you have heard the news about the attempt on the Popes life?" Azmaria nodded so I continued, "I was there when it happened. It was Aion."

Azmaria gasped, bringing her hand to cover her mouth "But it cannot be! Are you quite sure it was Aion?"

"Yes. I only saw him briefly, but there is no doubt in my mind that it was he. Aion has returned and we must stop him once again."

"But how? We no longer have the strength to go up against a devil as strong as Aion. One of the consequences of been so secretive is the difficulty of recruiting nem members, and any way most of the devils we fight these days aren't even half as strong as Aion" Azmaria said.

"I know mostly all the devils that were any real threat were all dispatched back in the 20's. If only…" I faded off.

"Azmaria looked at me speculatively. "If only, what Ewan? What are you planning?" Azmaria asked me.

"Well I think were going to need some help from as couple of old friends."

"What do you mean?" Azmaria asked, clearly confused.

"Well who have you known to be the only one to be able to defeat Aion" I quizzed her.

"Chrono, obviously. But Ewan Chrono's…"

"Dead, yes" I interrupted "But if Aion could find a way back into this world without any help, then isn't it possible that with our help and utilizing the right magic we could bring back Chrono and maybe even Rosette too?"

"That would be dabbling in some very dangerous magic, Ewan" Azmaria warned.

"That's why I'm here asking for _your_ help. Sister Azmaria you are an apostle. You may no longer serve any purpose in that regard, but you still have the power of charity deep inside you" I insisted "If we could tap into the power of god then we could use that perfect power from both of us to bring them back to life, whole and ready to defeat Aion once again."

"I'm not so sure about this Ewan. I haven't tapped into my power in decades. I don't know if I can anymore."

"Just because you can't reach it, it doesn't mean it's gone," I countered.

"A lot can go incredibly wrong with this plan. What if it isn't Chrono and Rosette we pull back but someone even worse than Aion? And can the power of god even be used to resurrect a devil? I mean Rosette I could almost understand. But Chrono was a sinner" Azmaria argued. "Surely there is something we could do without resorting to such drastic measures?"

"But it could be our only hope Sister."

"Ewan like I said we aren't strong enough, you know I can't put the Order at risk, I will send out some militia to investigate Aions whereabouts and his plans. Once I have a clearer idea on what he's up to, we'll go on from there" Azmaria ordered.

Now since I no longer have a place of power amongst the Order I could only agree with her decision.

So the Magdalene branches around the world were put on alert of Aions presence. Teams of militia were sent out to discover his current location and to discourse any information they could on why he's back and what he's up to.

I just hope Azmaria's plan is not for naught and all we're doing is wasting time. So for now I will focus my energy on researching the power that will be needed to resurrect Chrono and Rosette.

If it does come to that I must be prepared. I cannot let everyone down again.

Hope you enjoyed chapter two, please review and stay tuned for more.


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